"It just came all of a sudden," he said of the storm cell that brought heavy rain, winds and golf-ball-sized hail to Deerfield about 4 p.m. Thursday. "It just crippled the town for a while."

Just before 8 p.m., PSNH reported that 1,363 people were without power in Deerfield, 97 percent of the utility's customers in town. Raymond had 800 without electricity. There were scattered power outages in Weare, Croydon, Newport, New London, Dunbarton and Goffstown.

Tibbetts said portions of Reservoir, Stage and Reservation roads in Deerfield were closed as of 7 p.m. as crews attempted to clean up the roads.

"It took down several trees and wires in areas scattered throughout the town," the chief said. "There's a lot of debris to be cleaned up."

Tibbetts said several cars were damaged by fallen limbs and that one shed was reported damaged.

The National Weather Service issued an advisory on Thursday afternoon warning of the possibility of heavy rains and strong wind gusts through Thursday night.

The storm cells will be followed by intense heat through most of the state on Friday.

Forecasts include highs of 101 degrees for Nashua, 100 degrees for Derry and Rochester, 99 degrees for Concord, Portsmouth, Manchester and Deerfield, 98 degrees for Conway, 96 degrees for Laconia, 95 degrees in Keene and 87 degrees in Pittsburg.